 October 2003 |
Launch of a Bi-coastal Lighting Business
Susan and Caryn Kinzig are sisters-in-law who live on opposite coasts.
Susan, a jeweler, lives in San Francisco, Calif., and Caryn (who recently
left a career in finance) lives outside Philadelphia, Pa. But distance
didn’t stop them from starting a business making unique lamps
that incorporate intricate metalwork, hand-blown glass and handmade
shades from fine silks and other materials. Starting just about a year
ago, the pair has worked hard to fine-tune their product while getting
a warm reception from buyers around the country
TCR: How did you get involved in working with lighting/decorative lamps?
CK: I come from a business background and sat on the board of The Stiffel Lamp Company in the mid-1990’s where I learned a great deal about the lighting market. At the time that we began to think about a lamp company, I had been looking into starting a custom lampshade business.
Susie, a jewelry designer for over 15 years, incorporates many of the elements she uses in her jewelry into the lamp designs. She anticipated that many of her jewelry clients would also be buyers for the lamps. Likewise, she hoped to attract buyers for the lamps who might ultimately become jewelry buyers.
There was a lot of trial and error in terms of how the lamps evolved. In our first trip to New York to visit suppliers and fabric companies, we envisioned a kind of "funky" look. But, as we put together our designs, we were much more comfortable with an updated traditional style. Some of our buyers have called our style "Modern Victorian." In the last show, we added some shades with "Pucci-like" fabrics that have a more contemporary feel and we are working on designing lamps that will have hand-painted shades.
Susie designs and makes the lamp bodies and I oversee many of the business details and the design and production of the shades.
TCR: Can you tell us how long it took to get the idea off the ground?
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CK: We got started in early 2002 and were able to show a line of the first 20 lamps in February 2003. During that year we needed to learn about the technical aspects of lighting and where to find reliable suppliers, particularly for the fabrics. Our first shows were back-to- back in Philadelphia and Baltimore during one of the worst snowstorms in years. Several of Susie’s buyers had heard about the lamps and were anxious to see the new line. We did fairly well despite the conditions and committed ourselves to be in this business.
TCR: Who is the market for your work? What is your strategy for reaching them?
CK: We believe that the market for our work includes galleries, home furnishing boutiques, the hospitality industry, catalogues, high-end lighting stores and designer showrooms. Most of these channels can be reached through targeted wholesale shows including the craft shows that Susie has done historically with her jewelry collection. In addition, we expect to participate at gift shows and will try out other trade shows – the Furniture Market at High Point, some lighting shows and a hospitality show. We also would be interested in working with a boutique hotel or department store to come up with lamp designs unique to that buyer.
TCR: What business challenges have you had to overcome?
CK: Susie’s studio needed to accommodate larger space for parts and inventory, for production, for shipping, etc. She also needed to invest in new tools and equipment. And, while Susie’s jewelry fits into a relatively small, carry-on suitcase, the lamps and shades have more bulk and fill large boxes. The number of cartons, the time it takes to set up and break down, is greater.
We have approached our lamps from the finial to the base. This requires combined skills and talents and would be hard for any individual to try to do on his/her own. Fortunately, we have very complementary skills and have had a close relationship for over 25 years.
TCR: What has been the most difficult thing you have encountered in your business so far, specifically a bi-coastal start-up?
CK: The most significant challenge has been to identify reliable suppliers and to manage our inventory. Many of our suppliers, of fabrics, some brass components and glass, need long lead times to deliver the orders and/or they have fairly large minimum orders. This requires access to significant working capital and careful attention to inventory control.
We also need to exchange ideas and information on a constant basis and manage by speaking on the telephone, sometimes several times a day. We also use fax, e-mail and the Internet to communicate. We ship samples back and forth in order to look at fabrics and to match shades and new lamp designs. When we are together every few months at trade shows, we work on new ideas together.
TCR: What have you learned in terms of business insight?
CK: We have learned that it is better to take things slowly and carefully, not try to set deadlines that are too aggressive. Along the same lines, we have found that we need to start on new designs and initiatives with much more lead-time than we had originally thought.
TCR: How has the Internet affected your business?
CK: We are working on a Web site and we believe that it will have a dramatic impact on our ability to build and service our customer base. Many of our retailers want to link to our Web site. We want to be able to support our customers with up to date designs and information.
TCR: What is the next step for you?
CK: We are expanding our line, with some additional contemporary lamps and we are working with a fabric designer to have our own fabrics painted for the shades. We would like to add floor lamps and sconces for the shows coming up early next year.
TCR: What is your show schedule…if you have one…and where is your work available and through whom?
CK: We are still trying to determine which shows will be best for us. Currently, most of sales have been to high-end galleries around the country. We only began shipping in June and there have been reorders from several buyers so we believe that we are starting off on the right track.
Contact Information:
Kinzig
Design
611 Hazelhurst Ave.
Merion Station, PA 19066
KinzigDesign@comcast.net
(610) 322-9383